A Barry Happy New Year
by Hogwarts914
Summary: "Barry was less than a foot away from her. It would be so easy to just yank him down from his incredibly tall height and kiss him, just to see if it proved anything. Iris knew it was a risk, but what would happen if she kissed Barry Allen as that timer hit 0?" A New Years One-Shot. Very much a Westallen fic. Contains mentions of a previous Spallen.


**A/N: Happy New Year everybody! This is a short one-shot I thought of just after the ball dropped. Please don't hurt me for the pun in the title.**

 **Forgive me, this is my first fanfiction in the Flash, though I have worked with DC before. So, if the characters are OOC, that is probably the reason. As such, and as it is a new year, please refrain from flames. Maybe constructive criticism, as long as it's not rude. This is unbetaed, so it's a little rough around the edges.**

 **Sorry I've been so inactive lately, by the way. I promise I will try to get the final chapter of** ** _That Awkward Moment When_** **up within the next week for those who have followed that one.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** ** _The Flash_** **, because Iris and Barry would've already gotten together if I did.**

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"Alright!" Joe West boomed as he carried several plates out from the kitchen. "I got some homemade pizzas, everyone!"

Cheers, both drunken and sober, echoed around the living room of the West household. It was 5 minutes until midnight, and almost everyone in the room was at least slightly tipsy. Almost, as Barry and Iris simply looked on in amusement as their friends stumbled around. Iris was the designated driver, so she wasn't allowed to drink, but she found it just as fun to be a mere bystander.

The partygoers, consisting of Barry, Joe, Iris, Caitlin, Patty, Cisco, Linda, Jay, and Henry, all grabbed slices of pizza and continued to chat and eat, looking at the clock as it counted down. 3 minutes left.

The air of the room was light and happy. No weight of the world resting on any of their shoulders. No Zoom or breaches or metahumans chasing after them. Just jokes, friends, and alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.

Iris smiled as she watched Barry laugh with Cisco and Caitlin. She observed how the outer edges of his eyes crinkled, how he flashed his amazingly white teeth through dimpled smiles. It was very adorable, and she didn't realize until Eddie's...death, how adorable she really found it. It seemed as though ever since the singularity, Iris had begun to notice small things about Barry she never did before. How there seemed to be a perfect curve to his profile. How his shoulder to hip ratio was phenomenal, how his Flash suit seemed to fit his rear quite nicely...

Maybe she had always thought these things about her best friend (Save the last one. That one she never had the pleasure of noticing until she saw him in leather). But, the hot jolt in the pit of her stomach every time Barry's hand had even brushed against hers, and the angry, stirring feeling she would get whenever Barry and Patty used to kiss (Used to, she happily noted. The two had broken up a couple days after Christmas. They still remained on good terms, though). These feelings were new, and Iris wondered if Barry used to get them when he had a crush on her. Since, that's what it was, wasn't it? She, Iris Ann West, had a crush on her best friend, the boy she had known since she was almost seven.

The thought scared her, and it hurt her as she knew it was too late. Although he had broken up with Patty, and she had no clue as to the reason why, he was over her, and he had said it. There was no more chance for her anymore. She would just have to stand by as he dated girls that weren't her. How ironic. She was the one telling him to find a girl that really understands him for being amazing and being the adorable nerd he is and she never once thought that maybe he had already found one. That maybe, she fit that description too? Her only hope was that sometimes, he still seemed to act the same around her. It was that that kept her grasping onto the hope that maybe he still liked her, that maybe she _wasn't_ too late. Iris was snapped out of her musings as the boy on her mind came over and took her hand - there's that little jolt again-, leading her over to the couch.

"The ball's about to drop, come on, Iris!" He said bubbly. She laughed and watched as the ball started it's descent.

 _59... 58... 57..._

Iris saw as two men on screen in Times Square held hands and looked at each other, love in their eyes as they scooted closer together. It was with (another) jolt that Iris realized what they were thinking about. Wasn't there a tradition? To kiss on New Year Eve?

Then, another epiphany struck. Barry was less than a foot away from her. It would be so easy to just yank him down from his incredibly tall height and kiss him, just to see if it proved anything. Iris knew it was a risk, but what _would_ happen if she kissed Barry Allen as that timer hit 0?

 _24... 23... 22..._

Iris knew Barry, and she knew that if she was wrong, and he truly was over her, he wouldn't let it destroy their relationship. He wouldn't let it change them too much. She had nothing to lose (except maybe her hope if she was wrong), so blame in on the one glass of pinot noir she had, or the very drunk atmosphere, but she made up her mind.

15...14...13...

All or nothing. Maybe this was a stupid decision, one that she would regret later on.

10...9...8...

The sound of her friends' chanting grew louder as they counted along.

5...4...3...

This was it, the moment of truth.

2...

Throwing caution to the winds, Iris turned towards Barry, cradling her hands on either side of his face.

1...

...And she brought their lips together. As soon as she felt the contact, butterflies exploded in her stomach. It felt warm, soft, and just... _right._

Barry had yet to respond. He stood there, shocked, and Iris was terrified. Terrified that she had screwed up every bit of connection the two of them had built up over the last nineteen years. Terrified that she had just made the biggest mistake of her life.

But then, he kissed back, and Iris swore she could've melted right then and there. She didn't pay notice to drunken catcalling from Jay, or the fact that Cisco and Caitlin (though she will deny it in the morning) were bouncing up and down, giggling like crazy. She didn't see her father turn to Barry's, a silent communication of "It's about time" running between them, nor did she see the smirk on Linda's face, nor the small, sad, slightly pained smile on Patty's. All Iris would focus on was how her lips molded perfectly to her best friend's. She felt as though she were in heaven, but she fell back down to earth as Barry slowly, and reluctantly pulled away.

As she stared into his gorgeous green eyes, the possible gravity of what she had done hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Barry! I just got caught up in the heat of the moment and I've like you for a while and I don't know what came over me and I'm super sorry about everything and I really don't want you to hate me for this-" Barry placed his hand over her mouth, silencing her rambles. He had a small, but warm smile on his face, and he was so attractive in that moment that she almost kissed him again. Iris realized that everyone had cleared out of the room, leaving just her and Barry.

"Iris," Barry said, softly and kindly, "What gave you the impression that I didn't like it?"

"Well, you said to me before that you were over me," Iris replied. Her best friend's right hand flew up to the back of his neck, rubbing there as he stuttered.

"W-well, I... I m-might've... I might've lied..." he said sheepishly. Instantly, a weightless feeling took the place of her nerves in her chest at this revelation. Her regular sarcasm and confidence came back to her, along with a new sense of joy.

"Barry Allen," she began mockingly, a smirk growing on her face, "don't you know that it's bad to lie?"

Barry chuckled. "Well, I gave up on you ever liking me back, plus I was already starting to date other girls, so..."

"Speaking of which, why did you break up with Patty?"

The brunette man sighed. "The same reason I broke up with Linda. Patty realized that I still had feelings for you."

"I'm sorry about that, if it was me that made you two break up-"

"It's fine, Iris." Barry soothed. "Patty and I are still friends and no harm is done." He took Iris' face in his hands, staring deeply into her eyes as she stared into his. "Besides, I think it made me realize something."

"What?" Iris questioned softly.

Barry leaned forwards slightly, his nose brushing against Iris' as he rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "No matter what, I'll always come back to you."

"I love you, Bear."

"I love you too, Iris."

And this time, Barry was the one to close the gap between them.

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 **A/N: If that wasn't the most cliche thing ever, I don't know what is. Considering the fact that I wrote this at 2 am, it might not be the best. But, hey, I think it's pretty good considering I haven't written anything in a while!**

 **So, leave me a little review, tell me what you thought of it, and I will see you guys next time!**

 **-Hogwarts914**


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